Home-Built Forklift Doubles As Snowblower/Snowblade

Home-Built Forklift Doubles As Snowblower/Snowblade MISCELLANEOUS EQUIPMENT Forklifts Joe Odenwald does a lot of building in his shop and often carries supplies or equipment in and out of it He decided he needed a heavy-duty forklift to make the work easier I ve used it to haul engines transmissions loads of steel and many other heavy loads I can t imagine how I would get along without it says Odenwald My gravel driveway has a steep grade where it enters the shop That s why I needed something with big 15-in drive tires on front to provide good traction The forklift is powered by a Kohler 25 hp 2-cyl engine The front wheels and axle came off the back of a 1983 Chevy 1/2-ton pickup Odenwald narrowed the axle down to 4 ft wide then hooked up a 1-ton 4-speed Chevy transmission to the rear end gearing it down enough to get the speeds I wanted He bought the rear wheels at Fleet Farm The body was made from 4-in wide I-beams and 1/4-in thick sheet metal A steel pin at the center of the rear axle allows the forklift s rear wheels to ride smoothly over bumps The mast is raised and lowered by a single hydraulic cylinder and can lift 10 ft A set of 24-in long weights on back counterbalance the front load He made the steering wheel by rolling some steel rod and then gluing some rubber hose onto it I designed it as a tilt steering wheel To change the position of the wheel I just rotate a lever says Odenwald He even uses the forklift to remove snow around his shop and driveway A 4-ft wide snowblower off a Case garden tractor mounts on the mast and is operated by a 13 hp Honda engine The direction of the spout is controlled by turning a small steering wheel located next to the forklift s steering wheel Odenwald used 3/8-in round rod to make the steering wheel which is fitted with a small knob that lets Odenwald turn the wheel with one hand A 3/8-in univeral joint located at the bottom of the steering column allows the snowblower to flex as it s raised and lowered When I m done I just pull a hairpin to remove the steering column says Odenwald A 7 ft 6 in snowplow off a 1978 Ford pickup can also be added on front He welded lengths of tubular steel under the snowplow blade to fit the forks I just drive into the blade and chain it on says Odenwald I added an auxiliary hydraulic outlet to the forklift that lets me automatically change the blade angle Odenwald says the forklift didn t cost much to build Almost everything I used was stuff I picked up for free over the years My only expense was for the tires and a 2-stage hydraulic pump and hoses Contact: FARM SHOW Followup Joe Odenwald N6372 Hwy PS Hartford Wis 53027 ph 262 629-5164

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